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Thailand is a haven for both backpackers and beach lovers alike. There is a well trodden route that many people take and this includes Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chang Rai and various resort islands, like Koh Samui and Phuket. The immunisations required for Thailand tend to vary and depend on whether you take this well-known path or whether you visit more remote areas. The key injections for Thailand include MMR (measles, mumps & rubella),tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A. Typhoid and hepatitis A are both food and waterborne diseases, so you should take care with what you eat and drink There are other specialist jabs for Thailand you might need depending on your activities and location. Rabies and japanese encephalitis are widespread in South-East Asia and are particularly recommended for longer stay travellers. The vaccines for Thailand are not restricted to injections as there is also an oral cholera vaccine for those at risk. Of course, it’s difficult to know where to start, but here at Health Klinix, we can help and guide you on what injections you need for your trip to Thailand. To help, we’ve created a useful guide to give you an indication of the vaccines needed for Thailand in the table below.
What travel vaccinations do I need for Thailand?
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases or one of his highly trained clinical colleagues will be looking after your vaccine requirements. Find out more about the Health Klinix team.
Who will be providing your travel injections for Thailand?
"Just remember it’s not all about vaccines for Thailand. Outbreaks of leptospirosis can occur in the monsoon season. This is a bacterial infection spread by animal urine. There are more than 1 million cases each year worldwide. It’s common in Thailand (particularly in the North-East). You should avoid wading in flood water or swallowing water from lakes, rivers and swamps, particularly during the monsoon season.
You can also get leptospirosis from cuts and abrasions so be sure to cover them up if you are unable to avoid contaminated water. As you might have guessed there isn't a vaccine for leptospirosis but it can be treated with antibiotics."
Dr Gowda's top tip for travel to Thailand
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Frequently asked questions
This depends on the vaccine. Once you’ve the primary rabies vaccine course, you should be covered for 3 - 5 years according to the manufacturer. For the japanese encephalitis vaccine on the other hand, you’ll need a booster at 2 years.
Please note: you will need to book a travel consultation before we can administer travel vaccinations and this costs £30 (1 person).
Common vaccines for Thailand like the rabies and japanese encephalitis vaccines are usually given over a month, so ideally contact us at least 4 - 6 weeks before you travel. We can offer a quicker course in one week for both vaccines if you’ve booked your holiday last minute, just contact us to talk through and we'll help.
Side effects can vary from vaccine to vaccine. Rabies and japanese encephalitis are surprisingly well tolerated. You can occasionally get muscle aches, fever and soreness at the injection site.
You can have most vaccinations if you've been properly evaluated by experts in travel health which we're here to help with. If you're pregnant you will need a complex travel consultation which is £95, this allows us to fully review your health aligned to your travel plans and provide you with the best health advice and next steps.
Yes, although some vaccines like hepatitis A are restricted to children 1 year or over.
Yes, it’s important that you’re fully vaccinated as you’re more likely to have severe illness if you have an underlying medical illness.
Recommended malaria tablets for Thailand
Malaria risk map for Thailand
Travelhealthpro.co.uk
You’re generally at low risk of malaria in Thailand particularly on the popular tourist trail. If you’re travelling through the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and Pattaya, then there’s very little risk of malaria and we would generally not recommend malaria tablets.
Although you’re at low risk of malaria in Thailand, in some specific circumstances we would recommend you take malaria tablets. For example, If you belong to a vulnerable health group or you’re travelling for long periods.
Malaria tablets for Thailand are not 100% effective, so it’s still important that you are aware of the risk of malaria, and make sure you avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets.
You should be aware that in the forested areas, the malaria parasite is resistant to one of the malaria tablets, Lariam. We can offer expert guidance during your travel consultation.
You are not at risk of yellow fever in Thailand as transmission only occurs in two continents; ie Central and South America, and parts of Africa. Take a look at these yellow fever risk areas for more details.
Thailand is often the starting destination for many who travel through South-East Asia. The gateway, Bangkok, has something for everyone with its opulent palaces, vibrant city life, irresistible street food and network of floating markets. Ko Samui and Phuket to the south are islands fabled for their pristine, coconut palm fringed beaches as well as virgin rainforests. In the north, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai are renowned for their trekking and hill tribes. Thailand with its temperatures ranging from 26c to 31c throughout the year is a great destination at any time of the year, however, the cool dry season between November to March is the perfect time. Whatever you do, it’s important that you travel safely and so we recommend you contact us for advice on vaccines for Thailand.
All about Thailand
Additional health advice and risks for Thailand
You may also be at risk of the following diseases:
We sometimes have travellers asking for the yellow fever vaccine for Thailand. This is because although there is no risk of yellow fever in Thailand, there may still be a vaccine certificate requirement. You'll be glad to know this only applies if you are travelling to Thailand from a yellow fever risk country. For specific yellow fever vaccine certificate requirements for Thailand and details about these countries we recommend visiting the World Health Organization.
Thailand vaccine certificate requirements
Authors:
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine
MBBS, MRCP(UK), DTM&H, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, DFFP
Caitlin Lancaster, BSc
Resources: